From Bertie Bowl to begging bowl — the GAA is at it again

NOW that the Government has agreed to provide money to upgrade Lansdowne Road, the GAA is looking for another €38 million so that it won’t be “disadvantaged”. If there were gold medals for arrogant and contemptible beggars in this Olympic year, some of the GAA would be odds-on certainties.

In the 1994 Budget, the Government announced £5m for the GAA to offset their rebuilding costs at Croke Park. The gesture attracted attention, but not much support. The GAA people would have us believe that this is because the media is hostile to them, and they are probably right.

The £5m was small in relation to the amount that would be generated in tax from the construction work at Croke Park.